hard not to have a goal

[july]

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I'm done with pharmacy school, passed my boards and have a job I like and feel I should be elated all the time. However, this is the first time in my life where I do not have an ultimate goal. In undergrad, I was working toward pharmacy school, in pharmacy school I was working toward a good job or possible residency and now that I have the goal of just work and go home and save money, I feel lost.

Can anyone relate?

 

[PharmDstudent]

I'm done with pharmacy school, passed my boards and have a job I like and feel I should be elated all the time. However, this is the first time in my life where I do not have an ultimate goal. In undergrad, I was working toward pharmacy school, in pharmacy school I was working toward a good job or possible residency and now that I have the goal of just work and go home and save money, I feel lost.

Can anyone relate?

Make a goal for yourself despite what you've already accomplished.
Are there any extraciricular activities that you've been meaning to start but haven't yet? Your first goal could be to work out QOD, or you could start a new hobby.
If it was up to ZPack, he'd make you write down your goals.
Supposedly there's a Harvard study about attaining goals.
The results: Those who wrote down their goals were more likely to succeed at achieving those goals.

You've achieved a lot already, so if you venture out, I think you'd have success. Good luck!

 

[CuriousPharmD]

there are lots of goals....just think what you want out of life....

move up in the company
get a post grad degree..MBA
work out daily
stay healthy
find a wife/husband
buy a house
get property
look into other streams of income
get a hobby

THERE ARE TONS OF STUFF...JUST THINK ABOUT IT

 

[bananaface]

Find a job you enjoy going to every day. 👍

 

[dgroulx]

I'm done with pharmacy school, passed my boards and have a job I like and feel I should be elated all the time. However, this is the first time in my life where I do not have an ultimate goal. In undergrad, I was working toward pharmacy school, in pharmacy school I was working toward a good job or possible residency and now that I have the goal of just work and go home and save money, I feel lost.

Can anyone relate?

I can relate. When I have time off, I feel guilty for not studying. Then I realize that there is nothing to study. I already have a house, pool, nice car with nothing to do except save for retirement.

We have a lot of hispanics in Florida, so I think my next goal will be to learn Spanish. Right now, I have to counsel patients with a bilingual tech acting as interpreter.

 

[tussionex]

buy a house. get married. or both. either or, you will NEED to work to pay for them. being broke can happen just as quick when you're out of school...then you're plenty motivated.
😀

or, you could just derive pleasure from being a pharmacist....you worked hard to get there, right? now, try and be the best you can at it

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Personally, I can't wait for that moment when I don't have a goal to reach. I can just vege out and do nothing. Mmmhmmm.

 

[MountainPharmD]

Get married and have a kid...You will never complain about being bored or having no goals...

 

[All4MyDaughter]

Get married and have a kid...You will never complain about being bored or having no goals...

True story. 😎

 

[bananaface]

My goal is to make a lasagna by the end of the day.

 

[tussionex]

i want lasagna
😀👍

 

[dgroulx]

i want lasagna
😀👍

Me too, but I can't. I've lost 50 pounds since March and I don't want to gain it back.

 

[Doctor M]

My goal now is to have my own business, whether it be pharmacy or DME supplies. I like being a pharmacist and do my best but at the same time its a means to an end for me. I dont want to dispense until the "end"...I want to venture onto my own. There always will be something to do!! Or do what eveyone else said... get maried , have kids etc...

 

[bva]

Me too, but I can't. I've lost 50 pounds since March and I don't want to gain it back.

Wow, Dana!!! That is impressive. How can you do it? Can you disclose your strategy? 😍I have lost 10 pounds and then those pounds come back again.

 

[tussionex]

Me too, but I can't. I've lost 50 pounds since March and I don't want to gain it back.

good for you!
lost 27 since february myself.

 

[ZpackSux]

If you don't have goals...you'll aim at nothing then hit it.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

If you don't have goals...you'll aim at nothing then hit it.

I tried that out. I AIMED at nothing....but I didn't hit nothing, I hit my refrigerator. From this I've learned that not having goals turns you into a kitchen appliance. I think.

 

[Doctor M]

good for you!
lost 27 since february myself.

I need to lose some weight🙁 I dont even know where to begin. 🙁

 

[OSUpharmy]

Alot of times I have thought about life without a humongous goal. Has anyone considered becoming an MD after pharmacy school? My personality is so similar to the other pharmacy students I know so I'm thinking that this is inevitable. Almost every "old" pharmacist I know had some interest in becoming a cardiologist.

 

[dgroulx]

Wow, Dana!!! That is impressive. How can you do it? Can you disclose your strategy? 😍I have lost 10 pounds and then those pounds come back again.

I went to my doctor who has a weight management program. I saw a nutritionist and we discussed various foods, and ways to keep certain foods in my diet. Basically, she said that I can still have a glass of wine with dinner. I keep it down to a 5oz glass. I can only have 4oz of meat and/or cheese per day. Carbs are limited to whole grain foods. I've learned to make smart choices with my foods. I was also told to eat whatever I want once every 3 weeks. If there's something that I really miss, I can eat it then.

Also, I very rarely eat out. While at work, my meal usually consists of a nutrition bar and water. Yesterday was a splurge day, so I had a frozen burrito at Walgreens for lunch and an 8oz rib eye steak for dinner.

 

[bva]

I went to my doctor who has a weight management program. I saw a nutritionist and we discussed various foods, and ways to keep certain foods in my diet. Basically, she said that I can still have a glass of wine with dinner. I keep it down to a 5oz glass. I can only have 4oz of meat and/or cheese per day. Carbs are limited to whole grain foods. I've learned to make smart choices with my foods. I was also told to eat whatever I want once every 3 weeks. If there's something that I really miss, I can eat it then.

Also, I very rarely eat out. While at work, my meal usually consists of a nutrition bar and water. Yesterday was a splurge day, so I had a frozen burrito at Walgreens for lunch and an 8oz rib eye steak for dinner.

Thank you very much for your tips, Dana. (I don't like nutrition bar. I always eat out because I am lazy to cook. 😳)
Thanks so much. 🙂

 

[piyi]

Get married and have a kid...You will never complain about being bored or having no goals...

Yep, that's usually what happens. That happened to this one pharmacist I worked with who was just like me and never wanted kids. She said she finished with school, paid off her loans, bought a house, and then was like... ok, what else can I do to complicate my life? So she had a kid with her boyfriend. I'm like---please God don't let that happen to me. I hope that I'll have enough interest in all my hobbies to never want to have a kid. I pray all the time that it will never come to that.

I mean, I just can't see the point in having any kids except maybe the first few years of their life when they're growing up and all; that might be a little interesting, if you can get past the annoyance of being waken up all the time during the night. But, even if you raised them well, they'll most likely turn into a little brat (or worse) during their teen age years. Then, its a gamble as to whether or not they'll turn out alright after that. I for one have never been much of a gambler. No, I hopefully will never have to take that risk. I'd much rather have peace of mind (as well as money) in my middle adult years than the stress (and financial loss) that comes along with having kids.

 

[PharmDstudent]

I need to lose some weight🙁 I dont even know where to begin. 🙁

You should start tracking your habits with a food journal. Fitday.com offers online journal memberships for free.
I lost 16-18lbs when I did a 1200 calorie/day diet. It was a VERY difficult regimen, but it worked well for me.

By the way, I can't relate with your marriage goal, but I hope you find that special someone 😍.
I have no desire to get married or to do anything that modest. I think my soul would die.

 

[tussionex]

don't just have a kid b/c you feel goal-less. i am not interested in having any, though sometimes i wonder how i'll feel about that when i'm old and alone. then i think about my friends and how completely miserable they are with their small fry and change my thoughts to how pleasant and carefree my life could be when i'm old.

i didn't WANT to get married, it kinda happened due to family pressure...old school, people dont "live together" in my family. i'm coming up on my one-year anniversary and don't feel a damn bit different married or not. i'm 30K poorer, but i do have a terribly cool ring. though my man and i could have just bought the rings and saved the aggravation.

i DID decide to go back to school [medical informatics] b/c i feel that i'd like to be specialized in some way, feel that there are plenty of "clinical" pharmacists out there, so why compete when i can try something different?

a goal for all of us, regardless of marriage, kids, cars, loans...should be to be a damn good pharmacist. that takes effort, everyday!😉

ps - lost my weight with weightwatchers.com as well as the philosophy of eat whatever i want, but a whole lot less of it...and move a lot more!

 

[PharmDstudent]

don't just have a kid b/c you feel goal-less. i am not interested in having any, though sometimes i wonder how i'll feel about that when i'm old and alone. then i think about my friends and how completely miserable they are with their small fry and change my thoughts to how pleasant and carefree my life could be when i'm old.

You could be the old lady with a kitty cat, technically called a mistress 🙂. Siamese cats are like small children.

 

[tussionex]

i love cats...i have no problem being the old lady with the kitties.
however, i have heard the same thing, siamese are very "high maintenance"

i'm thinking himalayan...they're fluffy and laid back.

much like myself.

 

[PharmDstudent]

i love cats...i have no problem being the old lady with the kitties.
however, i have heard the same thing, siamese are very "high maintenance"

i'm thinking himalayan...they're fluffy and laid back.

much like myself.

Siamese cats are very "high maintenance", however they're pleasantly smart too. I can't even open a can with the can opener without an audience. They think every can has tuna in it!

Himalayans are fluffy babies... and very cute too!

I'm glad I'm not the only one without a strong desire to have children. I'd have to home school them anyway. In my opinion, school systems suck! They waste too much of the children's time.

 

[tussionex]

i'm thinking i'd have to go with the himalayan. i'm allergic to most cats, but their fur is so hair-like that they don't make me sneeze.
my friend's [with tortoiseshell points, what a looker!] used to sleep on my chest while we watched movies....

i gotta get me a kitty!🙂

 

[PharmDstudent]

i'm thinking i'd have to go with the himalayan. i'm allergic to most cats, but their fur is so hair-like that they don't make me sneeze.
my friend's [with tortoiseshell points, what a looker!] used to sleep on my chest while we watched movies....

i gotta get me a kitty!🙂

You'll have to post some pictures when you get a cat!

 

[tussionex]

just was at another friends house, playing with her 22 lb half siamese, half horse, i think. he made me sneeze, but is so cute!

 

[alwaystired]

just was at another friends house, playing with her 22 lb half siamese, half horse, i think. he made me sneeze, but is so cute!

my parents shaved their 20-lb'der like a lion. he was an adorable lion and had lots of fat bulges 😉

 

[pharmdinfl]

I'm done with pharmacy school, passed my boards and have a job I like and feel I should be elated all the time. However, this is the first time in my life where I do not have an ultimate goal. In undergrad, I was working toward pharmacy school, in pharmacy school I was working toward a good job or possible residency and now that I have the goal of just work and go home and save money, I feel lost.

Can anyone relate?

I have been feeling the exact same way. I got a bachelor's degree prior to pharmacy school and so I was lucky enough to be a student for 8 years and I LOVED it! It was absolutely wonderful to me to sit in a classroom being a sponge. I love learning and I really miss being a student now. I've been a bit down on it ever since passing my board exam because it's taking me some time to get used to the working world which is a bit boring to me. 🙁 I'm trying to give it some time.

 

[SarahLorraine]

This is so funny for me to read...I graduated in May 06 with my management degree and then I thought the same thing. What do I do with myself? So I became obsessed with cleaning and working out and now I am enrolled to start my prereqs for pharmacy school...looks like I fit right in. 🙂

 

[ZpackSux]

Unless you write down your goals and the date you want to accomplish it, it's nothing more than a wish.

Write down your goals and put a date on it. If you don't meet it, then adjust your goals. Goal setting is an integral part of success in life.

 

[positivepsych]

Realize that your happiness does not have to be dependent on major achievements.
Rather, I believe (and others like Dr. Victor Frankl) that happiness should be based on having meaning in your life.

So many overachievers tell themselves:
"once I get into a good college, then I'll be happy..
once I get into a good graduate program, then I'll be happy,
once I graduate and get a good job, then I'll be happy,
once I make manager/partner/tenure, etc., then I'll be happy..."

The list goes on and on. The cycle never ends, until you want it to.

Thus, I disagree with the other posters (coming from a psychology background here, not pharmacy). It's not necessarily about setting new "goals," as it is about finding new meaning in your life left by the void of not having a major academic goal to chase after. And by meaning in life, I mean a sense of purpose how you see your life (cognitions) and how you spend your time (behaviors).

"Meaning" is not an easy or concrete thing to attain, but you'll realize that it's very different than writing a big goal on a to-do list with a date, and "checking it off" when its done. It's an organic process that develops throughout your life.

Also realize that you're very fortunate to be in a place in your life where you have the financial security and time to do some personal development and find some sort of meaning in your life. Best of luck.

 

[ZpackSux]

Realize that your happiness does not have to be dependent on major achievements.
Rather, I believe (and others like Dr. Victor Frankl) that happiness should be based on having meaning in your life.

So many overachievers tell themselves:
"once I get into a good college, then I'll be happy..
once I get into a good graduate program, then I'll be happy,
once I graduate and get a good job, then I'll be happy,
once I make manager/partner/tenure, etc., then I'll be happy..."

The list goes on and on. The cycle never ends, until you want it to.

Thus, I disagree with the other posters (coming from a psychology background here, not pharmacy). It's not necessarily about setting new "goals," as it is about finding new meaning in your life left by the void of not having a major academic goal to chase after. And by meaning in life, I mean a sense of purpose how you see your life (cognitions) and how you spend your time (behaviors).

"Meaning" is not an easy or concrete thing to attain, but you'll realize that it's very different than writing a big goal on a to-do list with a date, and "checking it off" when its done. It's an organic process that develops throughout your life.

Also realize that you're very fortunate to be in a place in your life where you have the financial security and time to do some personal development and find some sort of meaning in your life. Best of luck.

Keep believing that. And you'll be happy.

But why must happiness have to be attached to goal setting? Setting a goal doesn't necessarily mean you're seeking happiness. Do you agree?

My goals are not for the purpose of happiness. If so, I would be one unhappy guy because I don't always attain my goals.

The pursuit of happiness is totally different topic.... unless someone's goal in life is to attain happiness.

And finding the meaning of life is a different topic all together.

The goal setting, finding happiness, and meaning of life are all intertwined together but at the same time different topics. It's the balance of all that will provide enrichment in life.

What good is knowing the meaning of life without achieving goals and living a lackluster life? But as long as you're happy, right?